History and Future
We empower all Peoples of the Great Plains through hands-on experiences that inspire scientific thinking, to create a society of curious, scientifically literate, and engaged problem solvers.
Founded in 1989 to encourage curiosity, the South Dakota Discovery Center is housed in the historic Pierre Power Plant, built in 1933, and has been at the heart of all-ages scientific exploration in the state for over thirty years.
As the first institution of our kind in South Dakota, our mission has grown from introducing children and their families to science through our acclaimed exhibits hall to including the instruction of educators at all levels and enhancing scientific understanding through programming geared at inspiring creative minds and critical thinking in all ages.
We are a multifaceted organization with an energetic team devoted to increasing awareness of the world around us. As an educational resource, we offer many types of classes that connect scientific professionals through informal learning to public audiences. Our youth programs introduce young people to all science disciplines, focusing on the importance of protecting our environment, the impact of technology, and other facets of what it means to be a citizen scientist. Educators benefit through traveling programs, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) instruction, and hands-on professional development. Every year we work to bring new information and foundational science to the public in interesting, interactive ways, developing tomorrow’s scientific leaders and increasing scientific literacy.
Non-Profit and Funding Partnerships Statement
The SD Discovery Center is a core of our community, open to all visitors and users across South Dakota regardless of income, education, and ability. We are a nonprofit organization, recognized as a tax-exempt educational agency by the South Dakota Department of Revenue, as well as an exempt 501(c)3 organization under the United State Internal Revenue Service.
Through partnerships with organizations like United Way, EPA, the SD Space Grant Consortium, the SD Engineering Society, the BankWest Foundation, SD EPSCoR, USDA-NRCS, and donors and Friends of the Discovery Center we offer affordable access to programs and field experts in all matters of scientific study.
Reports and Documents
2023 ANNUAL REPORT, SUMMARY:
“Filled with some of the most exhausting, rewarding, nerve-racking, and humbling moments of my time at the South Dakota Discovery Center (SDDC), 2023 was all about taking a chance on our past to build a lasting legacy for the future. Despite worries, overwhelming decisions, and a lot of scrambling, our hard work has set us up for tremendous success.” —Executive Director Dr. Rhea Waldman (excerpt from “Executive Director's Note”)
2022 ANNUAL REPORT, SUMMARY:
“We had a wonderful year of growth, but it came with severe growing pains. As a result, we re-developed our internal infrastructure, which will benefit our organization in the long-run. Who would have known the growth of an organization can be so hard and messy?”—Executive Director Dr. Rhea Waldman (excerpt from “Growing into Our Mission”)
2021 ANNUAL REPORT, SUMMARY:
“The Discovery Center and many that use our services, live in an “education desert.” To work towards our vision of creating a society of curious, scientifically literate, and engaged problem solvers, we must tackle the challenges that come with being removed from institutions of higher education by building capacity for authentic learning experiences and career exploration”—Executive Director Dr. Rhea Waldman (excerpt from “Planting Seeds in an Education Desert”)
2020 ANNUAL REPORT, SUMMARY:
“I am honored by the responsibility our board has placed in my hands, when they named me executive director, taking over for Kristi Maher, our director of 20 years. I am inspired by my staff that has turned on the spot, adjusting long standing programs within a matter of days to keep serving our community when schools, afterschool programs, and the Discovery Center had to close their doors [due to the Covid-19 Pandemic].”—Executive Director Dr. Rhea Waldman (excerpt from “Executive Director’s Note”)
Each month, the Executive Director presents the prior month’s “Executive Summary & Outreach Analytics” report to the South Dakota Discovery Center Board of Directors.
January 2023 (coming soon)
ABOUT
CONTACT
- 805 W. Sioux Ave., Pierre, SD 57501
- (605) 224-8295
- info@sd-discovery.org
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